


Night before the storm

by Subaruchan192



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Comfort, Comfort No Hurt, Erwin is working too much and worries too much, Established Relationship, Gentle Kissing, Kissing, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, Love, M/M, Mentioned Eren Yeager, Mentioned Hange Zoë, Romance, Soft Erwin Smith, Soft Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), True Love, taking care of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:40:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29202987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subaruchan192/pseuds/Subaruchan192
Summary: The night before Eren's trial, Erwin has doubts if he had thought of everything. Fortunately, Levi is there to talk some sense into him.
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Comments: 12
Kudos: 96





	Night before the storm

**Author's Note:**

> And I'm back =) Sorry I was gone for so long and with a different story than I expected. 
> 
> I hope you're going to enjoy it =)

“What are you working on?” Levi asked, balancing a tray of tea and cookies after pushing open the door to Erwin's bedroom with a purposeful kick.

“The speech for the new recruits,” Erwin replied in a thoughtful, absent voice, while his feather scratched eagerly over the paper and the flickering light of the candle danced like ghosts over his blond hair, while his deep blue eyes were hidden in deep shadows. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” The hint of a smile was on Levi's lips, but he quickly tried to hide it as he put the tray with a dull sound on the simple, round table, loaded with many piles of documents.

“Are you making any progress?” the captain of the Survey Corps asked with a frown as he sat down next to his commander on the bench.

“Not really.” Erwin sighed and rested the feather aside, rubbing his eyebrows to ease the headache which working in this uncomfortable sitting position in the dim, flickering light had caused.

“Shall I have a look at what you got so far?” Levi offered, while he reached for the papers. Erwin nodded and slid them towards him, before he leaned back on the bench, thoughtfully nipping on his tea and taking a bite from the slice of bread. His stomach grumbled gratefully and a heaviness began to spread through him which he had fought against all day long, while Levi read focused through his attempts of a speech, his frown deepening with each word.

“That bad?” Erwin asked and Levi made an indifferent sound as he turned the page, but then put it away with a sigh.

“It just doesn’t sound like you at all.” Levi pursed his lips. “It sounds rather like an imitation of someone else's speech and not like what you actually want to tell them.”

“You’re not wrong about it.” With a deep sigh, Erwin rested his head on his folded hands. “We need new recruits, urgently. But they are the first training crops after Wall Maria fell and now, they have also seen Titans. It's quite possible...”

“That they are too afraid to join us, I know,” Levi completed the sentence in a thoughtful voice and Erwin nodded in resignation.

It was another one of those moments when the fate of the world seemed too heavy for his shoulders and even the self-confident commander of the Survey Corps often doubted whether his decisions were right. It was a feeling that Levi could understand only too well.

“What does your instinct tell you?” he asked while he gently rested Erwin’s head on his shoulder and began to stroke through the blond hair.

“I want to tell them the truth,” Erwin murmured with a heavy voice after some moments of hesitation and Levi’s frown deepened even more.

“The truth?” His fingers stopped for a moment as he repeated it surprised. “I’m sure Darius and Mike already told you that is probably a bad idea.”

“They did.” A deep sigh escaped Erwin and he snuggled a bit more against Levi’s side. “But I want them to know what they are getting into. Everything else would be disrespectful.”

Levi sighed. That was typical for Erwin. 

“You can’t prepare them for that no matter how hard you try,” he pointed out. “They will never be able to understand what it really means to make expeditions to Shiganshina or even behind the wall. No one can.”

“I know,” Erwin said sadly, all the memories of all the terrible things they had seen shimmering in his voice. “But I want to try. As best as I can.”

“I understand.” Levi nodded and placed a soft kiss into the blond hair, while he took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. “I trust your judgement and instinct, Erwin, and if that’s what feels right to you, then you should do it.”

“So much depends on it,” he murmured exhausted.

“I know,” Tenderly, Levi cupped Erwin’s cheek, enjoying the moment in which he could see the ocean in those beautiful eyes, before he leaned in and captured his lips for a soft kiss. “And we’ll get through this together. Just like always.”

“Levi…” Erwin raised his head and wide, blue eyes looking at him, while Levi tried to smile as encouragingly as he could though it felt rather odd to him as if he was straining a muscle, but it always seemed to cheer Erwin up and therefore, he would gladly do it. Levi would always do everything he could to lift the burden off these strong shoulders- and if only for a little while.

Slowly, Levi’s smile began to mirror in Erwin’s face, his lips tucking up further and further with every moment they only looked into each other’s eyes and then, he exhaled deeply, puffing out all the sorrows.

“Thank you,” he whispered into the narrow space between them and his strong arms wrapped around Levi’s waist, hugging him tightly almost as if he was holding onto him.

“Always, Erwin,” Levi assured, while he stroked through the golden hair which stood out against his own, pale skin. “No matter what’s going to happen, I’ll be by your side. I got your back.”

“That’s more reassuring than you can imagine,” he whispered as he rested his head on Levi’s shoulder and hummed contently when Levi began to run his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“The same you’ve done before.” A small, faint smile played around his lips. “Just not so efficiently.”

Erwin snorted, pulling back only to arch an eyebrow, but then laughed softly.

“True.” His face expression softened as he caressed his cheek. “So very true.”

He leaned his forehead against Levi’s, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment of calmness in the storm that waited for the new dawn. The next couple of days would decide nothing less than the fate of the world and the past hours, Erwin had run through their plan over and over again, thinking about what he might not have considered, where something could go wrong and now it felt as if his brain cells were burned down.

“And what about Eren? Do you think our plan will work?” Levi asked as he leaned back in the bench, almost as if he had read his mind.

“It’s the best we have.”

“You realise I'll probably have to beat him up in front of everyone.”

“I do.”

“You haven’t told him that.”

“It wouldn’t appear real if he knew and the Generalissimo would see right through it.”

“I still don’t know what to make out of it. Humans turning into Titans.” Levi sighed, displeased and pressed his lips tightly together.

“It opens up a lot of possibilities.”

“But dangers as well,” he objected. “We have to consider that there are leaders of the shifters and that there are probably spies among us.”

“I know.” Erwin nodded thoughtfully. “But we'll have to worry about that later. First of all, we have to convince the tribunal tomorrow to hand Eren over to us.”

He took a deep breath and then looked at Levi closely.

“Is it truly alright if I put him under your command?”

“I am not very keen of it and neither are the others, but I guess I have no choice. I'm the only one they'd give Eren to in the first place, and I understand that he is indispensable to our plan.” He raised his eyes and looked at Erwin insistently. “Do I have your permission to kill him if necessary?”

“Yes,” Erwin said without hesitation. “If you see no other option, then you have. I also trust your judgement.”

“Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that. At least Hanji is excited.” He took a large sip of tea and scowled, putting the cup back down.

“Cold?” Erwin asked with a soft chuckle.

“Hmmm,” Levi said with a harrumph, glaring at the beverage as if it would become warm again out of pure fear of his wrath. “Nothing is more disgusting than cold tea.”

“I can think of some other things,” Erwin replied and looked fondly at him. “But I agree.”

Levi tried to stay grumpy for a moment, but just like always it melted under the loving gaze of Erwin’s blue eyes.

“You really are an idiot sometimes,” he grumbled and stood up. He grabbed the tray to take it away.

“Hey, that doesn't mean you have to take the sandwiches...,” Erwin started, but then gave in with a sigh. With a soft smile, he watched as Levi hastily turned around and hurried away to escape the embarrassment that still gripped him at times, and yet he was glad. Glad that Erwin understood him when others often didn’t.

“Come…” After taking a deep breath to calm his flapping heart, Levi turned back around and held out his hand. “Let’s call it a night and go to bed.”

“Levi!” Erwin’s blue eyes widened, but then they wandered over to the abandoned draft of the speech on the table and a twinge of guilt rippled through him. Could he truly do that? Going to bed, when there was still work to be done? He picked it up and looked at it, but the letters began to dance in front of his eyes, blurring into a tornado.

“Don’t worry about that,” Levi said, who suddenly stood in front of him again and clasped his hands. Despite the tasks these hands had to fulfil, they were incredibly soft and warm. Erwin lowered the papers and looked up into tender, dark eyes, and Levi wore one of his rare but thus all the more beautiful smiles and he rested his hand above Erwin’s heart. “Your words are strongest when they come directly from the heart. Speak to them with what you carry there and you will reach them. You reach everyone like that. Even me, when I felt like I was about to drown in the darkness of rage and sadness.”

“Levi…” Erwin gasped, in loss of words. Levi tilted his head and rested his hand on Erwin’s cheek.

“You look exhausted, love,” he whispered without reacting to his name as he traced his thumb along the dark shadows underneath Erwin’s eyes which didn’t came from the candle. “Time to get some sleep. Our plan will work tomorrow or it won’t, but worrying about it tonight won't change a thing.”

Stunned for a moment, Erwin only looked at him, but then huffed and nodded. He couldn’t argue with his captain here.

“You’re right,” he said with a soft smile and kissed his palm. “I thank you, Levi.”

“Geez, it’s always the same. I always have to take care of you”, Levi grumbled, but the smile in his eyes proved him wrong. “And yet, I came to love you.”

Tender fingers mused through golden strands of hair, rubbing soothing circles on the back of Erwin’s head and slowly, his eyelids became heavy.

“More than anything in this chaotic world.” Levi took a deep breath. “In a world, which seems to offer nothing but darkness to its inhabitants, you became my sun.”

Tears dwelled in Erwin’s eyes as he looked speechless at him, even his heart stopping to beat for a moment. The world narrowed down to Levi; the translucent wings Erwin had seen so many years ago shining once again.

Erwin reached out and touched his cheek, to make sure that Levi wasn’t a dream. That Levi was truly standing in front of him.

“I love you, too, Levi,” he whispered and kissed him. Erwin loved feeling the soft lips brushing over his own, even thought it almost came close to acrobatic, Levi having to get onto his toes and Erwin almost bending into half, but he didn’t want it any other way.

“So, what do you say? Do you have enough of being commander for today? Want to be just Erwin with me?”

“There is nothing I would rather do,” he said with a soft smile and kissed him once again. For a moment they allowed the kiss to settle deeper, to sink into one of the few good things in this world, their anchor in a storm. As long as they had themselves, the world could fall apart. As long as they had each other they could achieve everything.

Maybe even saving humanity.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, what do you think? =) I'd really love to hear your opinions, so maybe leave a kudo or a comment =) Thank you!
> 
> See you soon. =) Subaru


End file.
